Omicron Variant Is In Arizona, Officials Advise Not To Overreact

TUCSON, AZ — Arizona's first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus has been confirmed, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The department announced Wednesday that the omicron variant had been detected in Yavapai County.

“Much remains unknown about the Omicron variant at this time, including whether it is more transmissible and more capable of producing severe illness than the Delta variant,” Don Herrington, state health department interim director, said in a news release. “We do know that current COVID-19 vaccines have remained very effective against Delta and other variants, and I strongly encourage Arizonans to get vaccinated if they aren’t already and make sure they’re current on their booster dose if they are fully vaccinated.”

There have been a total of 163,219 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pima County since the start of the pandemic and 2,949 deaths, according to the Pima County Health Department.

“It’s natural to be concerned, but we should avoid overreacting to this news,” said Leslie Horton, director of Yavapai County Community Health Service, in the statement. “Since late 2020, as different variants have come along, COVID-19 vaccines have consistently proven highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Our best response to the Omicron variant, as with any other variant of concern, is renewing our focus on vaccination and following recommendations, such as staying home when sick, that are proven to reduce the spread.”

The state and local health departments are continuing to recommend getting your COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters to help keep yourself and your community safe.

The department issued a new report Wednesday showing that in October Arizonans who were unvaccinated were 15 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those who were vaccinated.

The departments also recommend getting a flu shot to help keep yourself out of the hospital and to continue wearing a mask, washing your hands and staying home if you're sick.